The final days – France 2006

( continuing story of our travels)

With some fancy foot work we made our way from Mont-saint-Michel to Amboise in the Loire Valley. To tell the truth, now more than 3 years later, I don’t remember the exact details. I don’t think I mentioned it, but on this trip we went from Rio to Kristiansand, Norway to Aberdeen, Scotland – into France – Paris, Versailles, Mont-saint-Michel and then to Amboise. At this point, we had been traveling close to a month and I was ready to stop…. The plan had be en to follow the Loire Valley east then go north into the area of France east of Paris famous for cheese, then back into Paris and fly home….. by this time I was pooped – Camillo never - but I laid it out like this – I AM NOT MOVING from here for at least 5 days!

In the garden.

 

Camillo’s idea of rest was that we stay in the same B&B for 5 days but we would go on tours everyday to see the area’s Castles, etc.   The B&B we stayed in was wonderful… the breakfast breads the best I have ever eaten, and the coffee ‘sublime’ –

 Amboise: I am so bad about deciding which are the best photos to spotlight each place there was 5 days of great things to photo  –  Amboise has its own castle, a home of Leonardo di Vinci, nice little restaurants and street cafes and bars and cave homes.  The city quiets down at night when all the day tours go home and then it is possible to just enjoy its charm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about the castles….

We saw Chambord and Clemenceau.  All of the places that we visited were homes – summer / winter / hunting lodge of Francis I and his wife and mistress (s?), and his heirs and their wives, mistresses et al.  There is no way for me to pass to you all the convoluted relationships that make up this history of this one small place in France.

Now how to finish this off without turning you away from France all together.  First I will limit myself to 6 photos of each – Amboise (those above don’t count), then Chambord with its double staircase designed by Leonardo di Vinci (6 only???) and then Clemenceau. Okay here goes (yes I cheated started off with 7 photos of Amboise – and only added 3 more of the Castle.  Did I mention that I love this place?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chambord:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clemenceau 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Castles of the Loire Valley VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL